“The national basketball scene is primed and ready" Tess Cinamon Duffield, Head of Programme

Access Sports is delighted to announce a new partnership with Basketball England, the national governing body for English basketball. 

By joining our forces, we will be able to use the transformational power of basketball to positively impact the lives of disadvantaged and disabled young people.

We know from Sport England’s Active Lives data that basketball is consistently more impactful on well-being compared to other sports and attracts people from the least affluent backgrounds¹. Both Access Sport and Basketball England therefore believe basketball has huge untapped potential to positively impact the lives of underserved young people.

Having previously worked together on our pan-disability offer – Hoopz - this partnership will focus on:

• Equipping, supporting and establishing community basketball clubs
• Combining resources to set up a thriving inclusive basketball network
• Training coaches and volunteers so that they have the necessary knowledge to deliver basketball sessions in their local communities
• Renovating and activating basketball courts in disadvantaged communities. 

Tess Cinamon Duffield, Head of Programme, said:

“The national basketball scene is primed and ready to impact young people’s lives. Partnerships like this one empower local communities to use basketball to create tangible positive change. We are so excited to continue working with Basketball England and look forward to achieving some of our ambitious targets.”

By teaming up with Basketball England, we are building on our ongoing partnership with the London Marathon Foundation and our commitment to connect with new partners, including national governing bodies.

With Basketball England’s support, we will be better positioned to access community basketball clubs and provide long-term support. Clubs will have access to the ongoing guidance needed to set up and sustain thriving inclusive sessions. Basketball England’s network of clubs and expertise will be used to maximise the reach of this work, ensuring that communities who need this support can gain access.

Through our joint efforts, we hope to upskill 150 coaches and volunteers to lead inclusive community basketball activities, and directly impact 1,500 disadvantaged and disabled young people.

Peter Griffiths, Head of Participation at Basketball England, said:

“We are delighted to be working more closely with Access Sport to deliver this project that will not only upskill a tranche of coaches through relevant inclusivity training and ensure our clubs have more than just a mainstream basketball offer, but also to give disadvantaged Londoners five attractive outdoor courts to play ball and stay active.

“Basketball can change people’s lives and this partnership will ensure marginalised young people can access the sport and reap its mental and physical well-being benefits.”

Interested in learning more about how we are promoting long-term change in basketball?
Changing Sports - Basketball

About Basketball England

Basketball England Basketball England is the national governing body of the sport in England. We promote, administer and govern basketball for all levels of participants of every age and ability, whilst offering specialist guidance on improving standards of the game, facilitating education and training opportunities. We deliver a competitive outlet through leagues and tournaments and progression to our national teams.

Find out more: 

References:
¹ Level the Playing Field, The Centre for Social Justice, 2020.